The Advent91: Now I would like to inform everyone that I would name Naruto's sword another name beside Murasama so you have been warned, but I am sure you will like the name I decided to use. Enjoy the first official chapter of Naruto: The Crimson Warrior.


It has been three days since Sasuke's battle with Naruto upon the coast and here Sasuke was lying on a hospital bed next to Kakashi to which Guy laid next to him, and as for Neji he was upon the bed to Sasuke's left. That's right. For some odd reason they decided to have those who have fallen to Naruto placed in the same room together although Sasuke didn't exactly fall to Naruto but more like survived. Neji was awake but merely had his eyes closed as the battle between him and Naruto continued to play in his head like if he were being taunted. Might Guy right now was challenging Kakashi to a battle of youth even though they were still not up for leave for another four days, Neji would be able to leave the hospital in two more days' time since the slash upon his back is not that somewhat bad being from a kunai, but Sasuke would have to the same day of leave as Guy and Kakashi.

"Let us battle with our flames of youth, Kakashi, my rival!" Guy said aloud.

"We're in the hospital, Guy. I don't think the nurses would appreciate the mess afterwards." Kakashi said as he lay back turning the page of his perverted book while giggling following afterwards. "Why don't we settle this in rock paper scissors?"

"NONCENSE!"

"Did you beat him?" Neji suddenly asked Sasuke with closed eyes as Kakashi and Guy continued to squabble.

Sasuke opens his eyes and couldn't help but have the image of seeing Naruto upon one knee ahead of him, blood leaking from the wound slashed across his chest, and wearing that smirk upon his face with a chuckle being heard. He even reached his hand up to the cross shaped scar that was upon his cheek left behind by Naruto.

"No." Sasuke replied.

"So you fell to him as well then?"

"No. It was more a stalemate." Sasuke said. "Something tells me that if Naruto was not as drained as he was then I wouldn't be laying here now."

"You're saying that it is because of his previous battles tiring him that you managed to survive?"

"Even though I would hate to admit it, it's true, and even he knew that." Sasuke admitted. "I need to get stronger-," Neji opens his eyes turning his head to Sasuke "so that upon our next confrontation I will be able to bring him back."

"Does this Naruto really mean that much to you? What is he to you?"

"He is a friend…Or more like a friend that I should've accepted from the very beginning."

"And what is he to Sakura?"

"I don't know…Maybe she is in love with him or something?"

"I thought she was too busy chasing after you like Ino?"

"Naruto chased after her...Naruto's assumed death was hard on some of us with some of us having bad mouthed him. After his so called death, as people didn't believe he could survive outside the village, I was filled with…sorrow, and most of all guilt."

"Why would you feel sorrow? You felt responsible for his desertion? Everyone knows that upon him leaving the village that he marked himself as a traitor. It's his own fault that he is running from the Leaf."

"It's everyone's fault."

"Excuse me?"

"Refusal of acknowledgement." Sasuke said. "Everyone refused him acknowledgement as someone instead of something, and I was amongst those as well as Sakura. Didn't you call him trash back then?"

"I have never met Naruto Uzumaki in my childhood?"

"Hinata told me that on one rainy night he went to your family's front door asking for food, and when he asked for food you called him trash to slamming the door in his face."

Neji looked back in his memory and found it.

"That's right, I have…"

"You refused acknowledgement on a level…So that means like everyone else YOU are responsible as well." Neji looked away up into the ceiling as if he found it interesting. "From my understanding Hinata took Naruto's desertion and supposed death hard just as Sakura."

"Hinata has moved on because of Naruto's so called death." Neji said.

"So has Sakura then…" Sasuke said.

"But now that he is alive?"

"Sakura is emotional right now, swelled up with nothing but guilt of how she was to Naruto in the past. She has to realize that what happened in the past is just that, in the past, but she clings to it. As for Hinata I cannot say, I don't speak to her much."

"Speaking of moving on then why can't you leave the slaughter of your clan in the past?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes toward Neji. "You know that something like that can't be easily let go or forgotten! How would you feel if it was your clan that was slaughtered? What would you do afterwards?"

"…..I don't know."

"You wouldn't seek revenge?"

"I don't exactly like the Main Branch of my clan. It is something that you would never understand."

"Whatever." Sasuke said looking back to the ceiling above.

"So you are just going to keep chasing after him?"

"Problem with that?"

"It is the task of a fool."

"Says the fool with his views and beliefs of destiny."

"I just think it is foolish for you and others to chase after someone that has betrayed his village."

"He is no traitor." Sasuke said defending Naruto.

"He left the village."

"He had good reason and I don't really blame him! I would have probably left as well if I had his burden..."

"Burden? What burden?"

"Sasuke…" Kakashi addressed.

Sasuke looked to Kakashi to his right seeing the man looking at him as Guy continued on his rant of the spring times of youth. Kakashi was just looking at him but Sasuke knew what Kakashi was saying even though he wasn't saying it aloud to him. To not tell Neji of what Naruto holds prisoner or that he was the son of the very man that sealed the fox within him. Sasuke's hands grasp the sheets beneath him angry that he couldn't say a word of truth about Naruto Uzumaki, his friend, and that friend seeing him nothing as an obstacle in his path that he seeks to destroy one day. Walking into the room were three individuals being Sakura, Lee, and Tenten deciding to visit their teachers and friends.

"How are you both doing Neji, Guy sensei?" Tenten asked.

"We are doing just fine! The flames of youth within our bodies continue to accelerate our process of healing!" Guy said proudly.

"Don't you ever talk about anything besides youth, Guy?" Kakashi asked.

"Guy sensei, please forgive us." Lee suddenly said.

"Huh?"

"We failed the mission." Tenten said making Neji tightly grasps his sheets as well.

"This Naruto was so strong." Lee said.

"Just because one fails a mission does not mean you should punish yourselves. If you fail one thing then you can only learn from it therefore bettering yourselves for the next." Guy spoke wisely.

"If anyone ultimately failed the whole mission it was me…" Sasuke said. "I was the only one that caught up to him, he was weak then, and yet I failed. So if its anyone's fault that he got away its mine."

"It's not your fault, Sasuke." Sakura said.

"Sorry that I couldn't bring him back, Sakura."

"You don't have to apologize."

"Naruto is strong…even stronger than me." Sasuke admitted. "He even called my skill using a sword not bad and by just fighting me he knew that I was only self-taught. He is far superior to me when it comes to the use of the blade."

"What level would you say he is on, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

"I would go as far as to say on a masterful one."

"Yet you were able to survive against this masterful level?"

"That was only because Naruto was low on chakra then. I am not even sure if he was fighting me at his best in using the sword. If he wasn't weakened before our fight something tells me that he would have cut me down in short time."

"Then not just you but the rest of us need only to better ourselves for the next confrontation." Kakashi said. "At least we know that he is alive."

"Right." Sakura said with a smile.

"Where do you think he is now?" Tenten asked.

"No idea." Kakashi answered. "If there was one thing Naruto is good at it is covering his trail. Before he was left in the village he would pull all sorts of funny pranks for attention, and afterwards he would have ninja chasing him all around the village. Most of them were Chunin ninja, some even Jonin that he managed to lose. One time he lost a group of Jonin ninja by using one of the simplest of illusions blending in with a fence." Kakashi said with an eye smile as a chuckle followed afterwards.

"He would pull pranks? What was he like?"

"Naruto was once kind hearted, sincere, and had a dream to one day become the Leaf's most powerful Hokage, a ninja legend. But then one day he just goes missing leaving the village? When I first encountered Naruto again it was when he was thirteen, and he was different from the Naruto Uzumaki we once knew. He was angry, full of hatred, and I was able to see it all in his eyes alone. He got away then and I encountered him again two years later, and again just three days ago. But like the last two previous times he gets away."

Suddenly another individual walks into the room and it was Shikaku Nara.

"Any news Shikaku?" Guy asked.

"Has Naruto been sighted?" Kakashi asked.

"After three days the Hokage has decided to call off the search. We are wasting precious man power sending a great amount of ninja to search all of Fire Country for Naruto Uzumaki. There have been no leads as to his possible whereabouts or even a trail."

"So then that's it?" Sakura asked. "We just give up on Naruto like that?"

"I am sorry, Sakura, but we can't keep wasting time searching for him. We need our ninja for other purposes besides searching for one man such as going out executing missions for the village. Just because the Hokage has called off the search does not mean that he has given up on Naruto, and neither has the Leaf. To the Third, Naruto's safe return to the village is important above all else, except of course the village itself. But the Third has many contacts he has over the lands keeping an eye and ear out for any information of Naruto whereabouts, and we will be the first to know."

So where could Naruto be?

There is a small country to the west of Fire Country not far off on the water as well as not being far off from Port City. It was a country surrounded by a dense mist and was a country that was in dire need. The people on its streets looked poor and hungry and the village itself was not in any great condition itself with homeless sitting within alleys or against buildings themselves. Within food stores there was barely any food that was even enough to feed an entire family. How sad was that? Who would leave a village and country as this in such poor condition?

There was one man that did and he was one that sold drugs and controlled a shipping company. As the people of the village walked there was one within the crowd that walked amongst them, but his face could not be seen as he wore a tattered cloak with a hood overhead. However the only thing that could be revealed was his black ninja sandals and what looked to be the end of a black sheath sticking out from the back from under his cloak. A homeless man couldn't help but look up to the man that passed him by who looks down at him, and the homeless man was only able to see what looked to be some blonde locks of hair sticking out as well as a blue eye before the man turned his head away. What happened next at the same time as the hooded individual passed him by was the homeless man was tossed some coins of money.

"Thank you!"

"No problem…"

Meanwhile within a warehouse somewhere near the outside of the village within its forests was the man behind all the despair within this sad country. He was what one would call a midget wearing a business suit with a walking stick in hand along with his two most trusted bodyguards by his side. This midget was a man known by the name of Gato who was a man that not only sold drugs but owned Gato Shipping Industries, and by his side everywhere he went were his samurai bodyguards Zori and Waraji. Gato was standing on a catwalk looking down upon the many crates of drugs his workers were loading up, and his workers were actually innocents from the village itself.

"It's good being the king." Gato said to himself as he blew smoke from out of his cigar. "Having a whole country under your control ruled by an iron fist feels amazing. Eight years without any interruptions from anyone, not even Fire Country can see what is actually happening here in Wave."

"For the most powerful village in the Ninja World, the Leaf is blind." Zori said.

"You said it." Waraji said agreeing with Zori.

"One of these days' boys even the Leaf will be ruled by yours truly."

Back within the village of Wave Country the Hooded Man continued to walk amongst the village observing the condition of the village as well as activities within. What he saw was despair seeing people stealing money or food from one another in the sake of survival, and he even saw a group of Gato's thugs that walked the streets demand so called payment if he wanted to keep his store up and running. The country was being bled dry and as a result its people were suffering, but they were kept on the brink of survival. The Hooded Man comes to a stop as he sees a child which was a little girl and she was being bullied, and it was by none other than three of Gato's thugs. The mother of the child came along grabbing her child but it was not long until they were both surrounded being pushed around as well, and one of the thugs even implied to 'ideas' of what he had in mind for the mother.

"Grab her and get rid of the kid." Gato Thug one said. "We'll have some fun with her in a deep dark alley."

The other two Gato Thugs were going to do as told by getting rid of the child first and then they would take the mother somewhere to have 'fun', but one person was not going to let that happen.

"Hey!" The three Gato Thugs turned to the one that called out to them seeing the Hooded Man approach them. "Leave them alone…"

"Well look at what we have here boys." Gato Thug one said chuckling afterwards along with the other two. "Looks like we have ourselves a hero." He said looking to the third thug motioning his head to the mother to not let her get away who walks over grabbing her to subduing her from behind making her drop her child to the ground.

"That's enough!" The Hooded Man demanded as first Gato Thug alone with the second walked toward him as well.

"Just who do you think you are peasant?" The first thug asked as he stops before the Hooded Man with the second thug circling around him. "You think you are some kind of hero or something?"

"Know your place you worm." The second thug said as he stops behind the Hooded Man.

"This is going to be painful…" The Hooded Man said.

"We'll you seem to think yourself as a big man."

"For you."

The Hooded Man suddenly jabs his left elbow back into the nose of the thug behind him sending the bone within his nose stabbing up into his brain instantly killing him. The body falls hitting the ground as people gasp backing away as well as murmuring, and the Hooded Man looks over his left shoulder as the first Gato thug looks to his dead comrade with a face of shock upon it. The Hooded Man was pinching the tip of his chin as he looked over his shoulder with his right hand making a short oh sound, and when he looks back to the thug before him who looks at him the Hooded Man then says one word.

"Oops…"

The thug yelped in shock realizing what just happened as he reached his hand for his weapon, but the Hooded Man leaps up planting his right foot upon the thugs face flipping himself up and over. As he flipped over the thug he slashed an odd shaped and bladed kunai across the back of the criminal's neck drawing his blood to landing upon one knee facing the opposite direction holding his weapon out to his left. The body of the thug was still before he falls to his knees and his whole frame then falling forward upon the street joining the second dead corpse. The third Gato Thug that was holding the woman from behind was shocked as well as in awe at what just happened wondering if this guy was a ninja. The Hooded Man stands tall to turning his head toward the remaining thug and shows off a tooth showing grin.

"Stay away or I'll kill her!" The third Gato thug threatened.

"Oh well we can't have that now can we?"

"Do you realize what you have done killing Gato's men like that? You are DEAD!"

"Gato?"

"Scared now huh?"

"No…"

"No?"

"Just that he is next to cross out on my list." The Hooded Man said with a grin.

The thug watched as emerging from behind the cloak of the Hooded Man looked to be a sheathed sword that had odd mechanisms upon it.

"Don't even try it!"

"What?" The Hooded Man asked as he aimed the black hilt of his sheathed sword toward the thug mainly for his face that was looking over the left shoulder of the captive woman. "I just want to show you my sword…?"

"Huh?"

"Only up close and personal."

"Wha?"

The Hooded Man pulled back upon a trigger and a loud boom was heard firing a red samurai sword through the air as the butt of the sword collides against the forehead of the thug making him release the woman as he falls back, and the red samurai sword after hitting against the thugs head is sent spinning up in the air. The Hooded Man then leaps up into the air for his sword reaching out for it with his right hand showing off what looked to be red forearm armor that had some cracks in it as the sleeve of the cloak fell back. The third Gato thug hits the floor as the Hooded Man catches his sword to front flipping down toward the thug below him, and the thug seeing him come down toward could do nothing but await his impending doom. The Hooded Man lands standing above the thug with the sharp edge of his sword just barely stopped above the skin of the thug's forehead between his eyes that began to wet himself.

"It's quite sharp don't you think?" The Hooded Man asked with a grin following afterwards.

The criminal can only gasp as what the thug saw next was eternal darkness as the red wielding swordsman slashes his sword in a horizontal angle upon him taking his life. The Hooded Man is now seen walking away from the scene as he twirls his sword within hand at the same time to sheathing it within its scabbard. The sheathed sword hidden back behind his cloak as the mother of the little girl said another a thank you out loud to him to which he just lifted up his hand that comes back down a second later.

"Gato…" The Hooded Man repeated the name to himself. "I know I have heard that name from somewhere before?"

Meanwhile back within the Hidden Leaf Village inside the Administration Building within the office of the Hokage. The Third sat behind his desk looking over all the gathered intelligence of The Crimson Warrior or Wind who was revealed to be none other than Naruto himself. The intelligence The Third was looking at was reports of multiple murders upon individuals and they were all said to have been committed by The Crimson Wind, Naruto. In the reports of these murders some of them were normal citizens from different villages, officials with one or two being political, other ninja from other villages but none being top notch level, and there was even The Crimson Wind being responsible for the deaths of gangs formed by bandits or thieves. If some normal person were to look at all this they would immediately say that Naruto was nothing but a murderer now, and looking at all the list of names as well as their affiliations it seemed to look that way. But one thing was bothering The Third about all these killings that Naruto committed and it was WHY he killed them so SOMETHING had to have some sort of link as to why he would kill these people.

The Third sighed as he lifted up the first paper of victims seeing the list going on the back as well as five more papers showing that the list went on. Upon leaving the list alone he flipped the paper of known information of Naruto such as his age, date of birth, this and that. Then there was that one blank square box in the upper right corner of the paper where picture identification would go. The reason it was blank was because before they just learned that Naruto was The Crimson Wind they had no idea who The Crimson Wind was, until now. The Third reached into his drawer pulling out a small face picture of a seven year old Naruto and he placed within the blank area of identification.

"Naruto, what reasons did you have to committing so many atrocities such as these? Surely you wouldn't sink down to some common killer would you?" Suddenly walking in was none other than the Elders, Kotaru and Homaru. "You are here because of Naruto, right?"

"Yes…" Homaru confirmed.

"I am sure the both of you understand my reasons of calling back all search parties. We need our ninja for other important matters than searching for a single person."

"We understand, Sarutobi."

"But you do know that we must continue pursuit of Naruto Uzumaki." Koharu said.

"He knows of his father."

"That's not possible." Homaru said. "Such information was kept under the highest levels of secrecy."

"Naruto knows and he is angrier than before, and all of that anger aimed toward the Hidden Leaf Village. He was able to bring down Kakashi, Neji of the Byakugan, and even Might Guy. During Guy's battle with Naruto he has confirmed that Naruto knows how to use the Nine Tails chakra at will."

"He can?" Koharu asked astonished.

"How is it he has accomplished such a feat?" Homaru asked.

"Perhaps the Nine Tails has contacted him somehow, and perhaps taught him?" Koharu suggested.

"Perhaps…" The Third said. "But you also know that because he knows how to use the chakra of the Nine Tails that he knows of the beast sealed within as well?"

"Yes…"

"Not only that but he knows he is of the Uzumaki clan, and he now seeks the identity of his mother. He has also threatened to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village…"

"What!"

"There must be something we can do?" Homaru said. "If Naruto goes through with his word and attacks the village with the control of the power of the Nine Tails then the damage he could bring upon the village could be devastating."

"Does this mean we put him the book? Have ninja pursue his head?" Koharu asked.

"That will NOT happen." The Third said.

"Sarutobi, we understand how you fell and care for Naruto, but should he ever attack the Leaf then you know what must be done." Homaru said.

"It will not come to that."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Surely he wouldn't go through with such a thing. I know the Naruto he once was is still inside him."

"He is like a ticking time bomb. We need to act now, find him as soon as possible, bring him back, and make his see reason." Koharu said.

"Something tells me that won't be easy, Koharu." The Third said.

"Never did we expect Naruto Uzumaki to be none other than The Crimson Wind." Koharu said. "So he has been the one responsible for many homicides around the nations as well as taking up any job so long as the price is right."

"What exactly is his affiliation?" Homaru asked. "The reports say that he fights in the style of Samurai as well as Ninja, yet he is none? He does not even have an affiliation to another village?"

"I believe his affiliation is Mercenary." Koharu said. "Before Naruto was identified as The Crimson Wind, he was seen on many battlefields on one side or the other."

"So then he fights for money?"

"I don't think money is what he solely fights for…" The Third said.

"Then what does he fight for?"

"Himself."

Meanwhile within the Land of Waves within its village two individuals are seen examining the bodies left behind by The Hooded Man. One of the individuals had a large sword on his back crouched while the other wore a mask over his face resembling to look like that of the mask of a Hunter Ninja, but upon his mask was the insignia for Mist with the man having the same upon his headband.

"Our guest seems to have left quite the impression…" The man said. "Whoever this guy is he is very skilled in the way of the sword. Look at the cut he made upon this guy, smooth."

"Does it remind you of anyone, Zabuza?"

"No, and surely no one of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist I used to run with." Zabuza said as he stood up. "I want you to scout out the village, Haku. If you see anyone suspicious you come back to me. Understood?"

"Of course, Zabuza." Haku said.

"Now go…"

It was now night and hours have passed throughout the day, and now walking amongst a path going through the forests of Wave was none other than The Hooded Man. As he continued to walk he saw his destination up ahead seeing a gate closed off ahead with a wall surrounding a compound near the waters of Wave. Inside this compound it was quite the size as many small buildings can be seen but the main building was the large warehouse with a dock close by. The small buildings were barracks for Gato's paid off thugs to stay within as they kept their eyes upon the place, and up ahead of The Hooded Man as he continued to walk up the path was what looked to be a Gato Thug looking to be mounted behind some kind of turret.

"A Kunai Turret, haven't gone up against one of those for a while…" The Hooded Man said to himself as he continued down the path.

The thug behind the Kunai Turret was not paying attention as he was talking to two other thugs as The Hooded Man now exited out of the trees still walking forward. It was here that they noticed The Hooded Man out of the corner of their eyes and the thug on the turret grabs the handles of the turret taking aim at the approaching hooded individual, and the other two thugs just took out whatever weapons they had with one being a sword and the other a large hammer.

"Stop right there!"

The Hooded Man didn't listen as he kept walking forward with his head down.

"You are trespassing. This is Gato's land!"

"Just shoot him." One of the other thugs said. "He's mostly some stupid villager that wondered out to far."

"Yeah, plus he would make good target practice." The third thug said with a smile.

The Hooded Man suddenly stops in his tracks not far away from them and suddenly he draws out a RED SWORD with his right hand.

"Hey guys something tells me he is no villager?"

The Hooded Man turns his sword examining its condition still seeing it in its peak, and as he did so red lighting arched around it for a mere second as he leaned the sword upon his right shoulder, and continued walking forward.

"Listen up buddy if you think you are getting past-,"

The Hooded Man suddenly dashed forward with great speed as he held his sword out to his right, and upon his sudden movement the man behind the Kunai Turret fires. Kunai fire out of the turret toward The Hooded Man but he kept moving out of the way avoiding the kunai fire. The thug behind the turret did his best as he aimed the turret toward the moving target but he was doing no good as The Hooded Man got closer and closer, and as he did the sweat coming down his brow increased. The Hooded Man then suddenly leaped up into the air holding his blade out to his upper right, and descends down upon the Kunai Turret. The thug aims the Kunai Turret up and fire but The Hooded Man deflects the kunai away with the swish of his sword with mastery, and then the turret and the thug behind was put to an end as the red sword was slashed down the middle. The thug behind the Kunai Turret's body splitting apart from down the middle as The Hooded Man's red sword cut through with Kunai Turret going in the same manner.

The two other Gato Thugs that were behind their comrade that was behind a powerful weapon had blood upon their faces as well as faces of shock and awe at what just happened. The Hooded Man was upon one knee as he had his red sword upon the ground before him, and he lifts his head looking at the two remaining guards before him giving them a tooth showing grin. The thug with the hammer suddenly charges forward yelling aloud for the attacker to die but he is suddenly cut through with The Hooded Man upon one knee opposite of him holding his sword out to his lower right. The remaining thug with sword in hand looked to his second comrade who was still as if he were frozen? That is when he watched the thug's body start to slowly slide down to the left eventually with the top portion of his body hitting the ground followed by the lower as blood sprayed out staining the ground. The last remaining thug looked to The Hooded Man who was still upon a knee with his back turned and so the last thug took the opportunity to attack charging forward with sword in hand.

The Hooded Man listened to the approaching footsteps waiting for them to get closer and when they did he suddenly spins his red sword over head to slashing through the thug behind him to having his sword back in its original position before him. The remaining thug was still before he falls back spitting out blood hitting the ground dead joining the other three corpses.

"And that makes six for the day…" The Hooded Man said to himself as he stood up sheathing his sword. He looked to the gate and to the compound within. "Let's see if I can make a new record?"

Multiple amounts of Gato's thugs were gathered within the compound heading toward the front gate where they all heard the kunai fire of the Kunai Turret that was silenced. Either there was an intruder or the guys guarding the gate were messing around the Kunai Turret again. As the neared the front gate they suddenly see that it is cut through into multiple pieces followed with a mighty wind pushing those pieces firing toward them. Some of the thugs were hit by those pieces either knocking them out or fatally wounded, but bringing their attention back to the front of the compound they all saw walking within and toward them the one that wielded the red sword leaned upon his right shoulder.

"Who the hell is that?" Gato Thug one asked. "Ninja?"

"I don't see a headband on him anywhere?" Another random thug said.

"How did he get past the Kunai Turret?"

"It doesn't matter how he did it! LET'S GET HIM!"

The Hooded Man saw all the Gato Thugs charging from across him and with lifting up his left hand you would think he was going to do something, but instead he begins counting while mouthing the numbers off without saying the number aloud. He didn't look worried at all as he continued to walk forward as the dozens of Gato Thugs charged forward. The Hooded Man then parts his cloak upon his left side away revealing the sheath of his red sword putting his sword away, and afterwards he stops in his tracks performing hand seals. The thugs stop seeing this but as soon as they did it was too late as The Hooded Man attacks with his jutsu…

"Fire Style: Fire Annihilation!"

The Hooded Man then blew out a powerful large torrent of flames toward the Gato Thugs that did the only thing and it was screaming while some tried running away. The flames engulfed their forms lighting them on fire as well as parts of the ground around the area while The Hooded Man walks through and amongst the ablaze men. As he walked through he saw flaming bodies surrounding him as well as some still standing riling about trying to put out the flames upon their forms while screaming, and there was even one crawling across the ground with his legs on fire. The Hooded Man was approaching the one that was crawling with his legs on fire and so draws out his sword bringing the tip of his weapon upon the ground letting it grind along it as he got closer and closer. The thug heard and turning his head in the direction of the sound he was able to see The Hooded Man twirl his sword before slashing it down and through his neck severing his head from his form to resting his blade upon his shoulder. The Hooded Man even came to a stop as he saw a thug on fire coming his direction and when he got to close he uses his sword to push the flaming man on fire away to the ground, and continued on his path toward the warehouse.

"I'm coming for you, Gato." The Hooded Man said to himself.

Within the compound standing upon another building was Zabuza and Haku side by side watching all of what just took place as well as seeing The Hooded Man's destination?

"He's heading inside the weapons storage house…" Haku said.

"Yes. Either he is here to cripple the man's money or he is just here for the man himself." Zabuza said. "I will take care of this, Haku. Unfortunately for the hero down there, even though I want to kill Gato as much as he for whatever reason cannot let him off our money."

"Do you think he is a ninja?" Haku asked as they watched the intruder enter the warehouse by kicking a door down.

"It doesn't look like it. But that sword he holds, one that is as red as blood. I'll be back soon…"

The Hooded Man walked within the warehouse seeing what he expected to find in this place. He can see crates stacked with various destinations as well as large rectangular shipping containers carrying who knows what, but hearing of Gato he was sure of what was in them.

"Gato of Gato Shipping Industries, a underground drug tycoon and weapons salesman." The Hooded Man said to himself. "Soon I will have your head and you will have gotten what you deserved from the very beginning…"

"Welcome to Wave!"

The Hooded Man said looked up to the metal support beams that supported the roofing above, and he could see walking along the beams under it a man wielding a large sword on his back, it was Zabuza, The Demon of the Hidden Mist. It was obvious that his guy was a ninja seeing as he was walking upside down under a support beam using chakra concentrated to the bottom of his feet. The ninja above chuckles as he continues in his upside down walk…

"It was expecting to find the one responsible for the deaths of Gato's pitiful goons, not that I care, but I never expected it to be you." Zabuza said as he comes to a stop.

"And you are?" The Hooded Man asked.

"You never heard of me?"

"Tell me and maybe it will ring a few bells."

"I am Zabuza Mamochi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist, Master of the Silent Kill, and The Demon of the Hidden Mist. Ring any bells yet?"

"You're the man that tried assassinating the Fourth Mizukage." The Hooded Man said.

"What would The Crimson Wind himself be doing here in Wave?" Zabuza asked.

"Looks like I won't need this anymore…" The hooded individual said revealing his blonde hair and armor that had some cracks within them as well as the scars from his previous battle with Sasuke. "It was the sword wasn't it?" Naruto asked holding his hands apart.

"I was honestly expecting The Crimson Wind to be a bit…more."

"Don't let my size or age fool you, Demon of the Hidden Mist, I AM quite good as they say."

"I'll be the judge of that…" Zabuza said letting himself fall toward three stacked rectangular shipping container now looking down upon Naruto below him. "Why are you here? For Gato?"

"Oh no, I am here just sharpening my skills, looking for some dope to get off on, and maybe take a tour of the island afterwards. What do you think?" Naruto asked

"If there is one thing I don't like it is a smart ass." Zabuza said. "Not that I care but I am only curious. What particular reason do you wish Gato dead?"

Naruto chuckled as he draws his red sword and begins to slowly pace while twirling his sword in hand while keeping his gaze upon Zabuza above. Meanwhile back within the Hidden Leaf Village, The Third was starting to establish a connection to all the people that Naruto killed. Just then The Third heard a knock upon his door giving permission for the individual to enter and it was Kakashi.

"Shouldn't you be in the hospital, Kakashi?" The Third asked.

"I managed to make a faster recovery then the others." Kakashi said but in truth he was still not fully recovered from the results of the Octaslash, but he was able to stand and walk but not run.

"Something I can do for you, Kakashi?"

"I am sorry Lord Third, were you busy? I can come back at a later time."

"It's alright, Kakashi. I was going to call for you anyway in regards to Naruto."

"What about Naruto?" Kakashi asked closing the door behind taking a seat before the Kage's desk.

"All of the people that he has killed operating as The Crimson Warrior…"

"What about them?"

"They have all performed a heinous crime or more than one from murder to theft, betrayal, war crimes, and even to the crime rape."

"So all of the people that Naruto killed were not as innocent that many believed them to be."

"No." The Third said with a smile and closed eyes.

"But why kill them?" Kakashi asked. "Surely all of those people couldn't have had some sort of grudge against Naruto."

"No they didn't."

"Then why did Naruto claim so many lives?"

I think I know why…"

Returning to the situation with Naruto in Wave, he kept his gaze upon Zabuza spinning his sword within hand answering the Demon of the Hidden Mist's question.

"I have no reason to kill him for what he did to me in particular, but for what he does to this country and its people. I go about the nations bringing justice upon those that deserve it. Such as outlaws, corrupt officials, murders, rapists, and men like Gato especially." Naruto answered as he stops spinning his sword to pointing it up to Zabuza. "That would also have to include you…"

Zabuza chuckles at Naruto's threat. "You really think that some little punk like you can kill me? I have been around far longer than you have boy. Just because you made a fancy name for yourself as well as killed a few low life's doesn't mean you can take someone of my level."

"You shouldn't underestimate this so called little punk because he has taken down others that have said the exact same thing you just said now."

"Is that so? Care to prove it, Crimson Wind?"

"I would love to…" Naruto said as a smirk grew upon his face.

"THEN CMON!"

Zabuza suddenly runs along shipping containers to his right with Naruto below quickly sheathing his sword before quickly throwing a total of three shuriken toward Zabuza from his left hand. The shuriken spin and curve in angle missing Zabuza stabbing one after the other into another shipping container stacked behind the one Zabuza was running along. Naruto running along ground level sees Zabuza flip himself up and over upon another shipping container, and Naruto sees him leap from that to another across as Naruto throws up a three pronged kunai toward the airborne Zabuza's leap. Zabuza turns his form within midair as Naruto appears besides his kunai catching it within his left hand to drawing his sword out with his right hand to slash through the airborne Zabuza, but as Zabuza turned his form he pulls his large sword from his back colliding his large sword against Naruto's sending Naruto shooting across the air away from him. Naruto lands upon large stacked rectangular shipping containers as well upon one knee and looks ahead seeing Zabuza descending down toward him with his sword reared overhead. However if Zabuza paid attention when he repelled Naruto away earlier he would have noticed that Naruto sheathed his sword during that moment as well.

When Naruto's sword was sheathed then you know what was to come next. It is too bad Zabuza didn't though. Naruto eyed the closing in Zabuza waiting for the moment to pull the trigger of his sheath and when Zabuza deemed himself close enough for striking distance he began to swing his sword down, and THIS is when Naruto pulled the trigger. Pulling back on the trigger of his sheath he shoots his red sword out of the sheath into his right hands grasp to using that same power performing his signature Quick Draw. His sword collides with Zabuza's sword with enough power behind it that was able to disarm the weapon out of Zabuza's grasp to which the Rouge Ninja's eyes widen to. Zabuza's arms and hands were out to his right with his sword spinning away from him since his sword was repelled away, and looking down upon Naruto he sees the boy chuckling. The sword of Zabuza stabs into a wall within the warehouse as Naruto manages to quickly spin his sword overhead angling it fast enough slashing through Zabuza in midair before him.

Now normally Naruto saw blood when he slashed down his foes but instead he was met with water.

"A Water Clone…" Naruto said.

"You missed…" Zabuza's voice said to him.

Naruto looked off to his right seeing Zabuza upon his own sword stabbed into the wall of the warehouse and Zabuza was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Not surprising you escaped using a Water Clone; it's just your style." Naruto said as he stood tall sheathing his sword.

"That is some mechanism upon your weapon…"

"This?" Naruto asked as he rose up his sheathed sword. "You mean upon my sheath, not weapon, because the weapon is the sword."

"And that sword must be the Masamune itself, am I right?"

"You know your swords." Naruto said as he reattached his sheathed weapon back upon his left hip.

"I have heard stories amongst the Masamune of its possession with you. There are multiple stories how you came across it such as having killed its previous owner taking the weapon for you own, or that it was made from the power of a demon itself, but there is one story that I like."

"And which one would that be?"

"They say Masamune was once beautiful but was reduced to color of that of the blood of man. The story goes as you killed every man that came in your way, was the job, or someone you just wanted to kill that the sword itself turned into a crimson blood red while some say that it is eternally stained in blood instead. They say the blood red of your sword is testament of the hundreds of lives you have taken."

Naruto draws his Masamune sword holding it before him horizontally with the tip resting upon his right finger looking to be examining it.

"That's quite the version of the story, and I like it since it sounds better than the rest."

"Who exactly are you?" Zabuza asked. "What is your story?"

"What stories have you heard?"

"That you were apprentice of Mifune of Iron Country, rise to doing what you do out of the joy of killing, that you are just some punk looking for fame, or that you were a man who rise from darkness not joying for the light but remain in the darkness? Which is it?"

"Well you know what they say…If you're going to have an origin story then you may as well make it multiple choice." Naruto said twirling his sword beside him.

"I don't see why I even bothered asking you these questions since you're not going to be around for much LONGER!"

Upon finishing the last word of his sentence Zabuza threw a multiple number of kunai toward Naruto's direction who begun spinning his sword before him deflecting the kunai away, but after he was finished doing so Zabuza along with his sword was gone. Naruto suddenly ducked evading Zabuza's large sword that was swung from overhead behind him and quickly kick his leg around in an attempt to trip the man off his feet, but Zabuza leaped up in evasion to swinging his sword back down upon Naruto who rolls to his right away evading the large sword piercing into the shipping container they were upon. Zabuza's sword was stuck as Naruto dashed forward with his sword and seeing the Crimson Wind coming his way the Rouge Ninja manages to disarm Naruto kicking Masamune out of his hands grasp. The Masamune is sent spinning up into the air landing upon and stabbing into another shipping container a distance away from him. Naruto looks back forward upon Zabuza away from his sword seeing the man coming at him with nothing but his fists, and it soon turned into a fist fight between Zabuza and Naruto. Both fighters were throwing blows at one another blocking, evading, parrying as well as countering against one another attacks.

Zabuza threw a right punch only for Naruto to bring up his right arm blocking the strike to attacking back kicking up his right leg to which Zabuza countered against bringing up his left arm blocking. Naruto then lets himself fall back bringing Zabuza down with his to kicking the man up and over landing away upon his back, and Naruto leaps toward him only for Zabuza to counter back kicking his right leg into Naruto's chest sending him back landing upon a knee as Zabuza rolled back up to his feet. Since they were now opposite of one another they both looked back with Naruto seeing Zabuza's sword and Zabuza seeing Naruto's, and they both turn around sprinting for the weapons. Naruto appears besides grabbing the hilt of Zabuza's sword while Zabuza grabs Masamune with both of them pulling the weapons out at the same time. Zabuza looked over his shoulder seeing Naruto descending down from the air swinging down his large sword with the use of one arm. Zabuza quickly leaps back evading his own sword with the man running up long his own blade to flipping himself up and over.

As Zabuza flips over Naruto he strikes with the red sword to slash Naruto's blind side but Naruto predicting this quickly turns around swinging the sword up toward Zabuza, and Zabuza uses Naruto's own sword blocking the strike from his own sword. Zabuza lands away from Naruto and having the Masamune in hand he did not feel comfortable with it and Naruto was thinking along the same lines along with the weight being a problem as well reducing his striking speed. Both of them saw this in one another's eyes to which to which Zabuza held up Masamune to Naruto with Naruto himself standing tall from his hunched over form turning the large sword into a reverse grip. Both Naruto and Zabuza toss their respective sword back to one another, with Naruto having to have to put more effort, and both of them catching their weapons. As soon as they did catch their weapons the two of them dash toward one another clashing swords against one another locking blades looking one another face to face.

"Not bad for a brat."

"Not bad for some freak with no eyebrows."

"Little punk!"

"Gato is not even here is he?"

"If anyone is going to kill Gato, it's me."

"Why would you want to kill the man that is paying you?"

"I could always kill him AFTER he pays me."

"You need serious help." Naruto taunted with a smile.

Zabuza with a grunt of anger pushes Naruto away to dashing toward him and Naruto coming to a stop dashes toward Zabuza, and with a smile upon his face.

Returning to the office of The Third in the Hidden Leaf Village…

"Justice." Kakashi said repeating The Third's answer.

"Yes, and I also believe that this is also MAYBE a way Naruto unleashes his anger. At the same time he does this he also performs to what I believe he sees as a good to the world, dispensing justice."

"Upon the wicked." Kakashi said.

"That's right."

"At least he doesn't take it out upon us."

Returning to the battle with Naruto and Zabuza in Wave this fight between the two swordsmen was heating up. A part of the warehouse's roof blows up into the night sky and back flipping out of it landing upon the roof of the building was Naruto who was now sliding down upon the slanted roofing, and stops himself by stabbing his sword into the roof before him. Naruto looked up seeing Zabuza emerge into the air with the full moon behind his back as the man performs a set of seals.

"Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Naruto looked off to his left seeing a water dragon shoot out of the water off the docks of the area roaring aloud to flying toward him. The Crimson Warrior simply reaches for something within his weapons pouch throwing out toward the Water Dragon three kunai attached with Paper Bombs, and upon impact with the Water Dragons face blows up stopping the jutsu. Suddenly Zabuza lands not far off to his right whom charges Naruto with his large sword at the ready but Naruto counters by quickly throwing a three pronged kunai. The kunai hits Zabuza but he disperses into water revealing him to have been a Water Clone as the kunai proceeded on its course through the air. After the Water Clone's dispersion the real Zabuza appeared behind Naruto swinging his sword to remove The Crimson Winds head, but then Naruto teleports to his thrown kunai therefore evading Zabuza's sword. Naruto reappeared within the air catching his kunai and if you looked upon Naruto you would notice that his sword was sheathed.

Upon landing on his feet Naruto leaps through the air toward Zabuza with the push of his right foot that was pumped with chakra, and as he shoots through the air toward Zabuza he had his right hand around the hilt of his sword with his left finger on the trigger. Zabuza saw The Crimson Wind coming shooting toward him like a bullet and brings his sword to intercept Naruto, but Naruto already reached the appropriate striking distance. Naruto pulled the trigger shooting out his sword catching it within his right hand performing a quick draw that clashes against Zabuza's sword disarming the Demon of the Hidden Mist. The sword of Zabuza is sent spinning into the air as Naruto goes right past the staggering Zabuza who looked like he was going to lose his footing due to the power of Naruto's quick draw. As Naruto went past Zabuza he turns himself around upon his feet while sliding upon the roof holding his red lighting arching sword Masamune out to his upper right until coming to a stop, and when he did he sheathed his sword again leaping through the air toward Zabuza like before. Zabuza quickly reached into his pouch pulling out a knife he uses to block Naruto's second quick draw that sends Zabuza shooting off the roof of the building now letting gravity take effect.

The Demon of the Hidden Mist falls through the air in a series of backflips until landing safely upon ground level outside the warehouse as Naruto lands a distance before him holding his sword before him like a traditional samurai. Zabuza looked toward Naruto as he slowly stood back up tall and as he did his sword Kubikiribocho stabs into the ground before him slanted to which Zabuza brings his gaze upon.

"I have come across many ninja, who have fallen to my blade in battle, but I have never come across an adversary who was able to disarm me of my own sword, this is a first." Zabuza thought as he reached for his sword pulling it out of the ground. "This is no ordinary punk…" He thought holding his sword before him within both of his hands grasp. "I underestimated you, Crimson Wind. You are a worthy adversary when it comes to skill in the blade."

"This coming from the Demon of the Hidden Mist, I will take the compliment with great honor."

"I should congratulate you for you are the FIRST who has ever managed to disarm me of Kubikiribocho."

"Kubikiribocho. The sword that is able to reform itself from iron from that of blood if it is ever broken."

"Someone's done their homework."

"Someone knows their swords." Naruto said with a smile.

"And would you happen to be here for mine?"

"Not interested. Besides it looks like it would be a pain to carry around a heavy sword such as yours."

"You get used to it."

Zabuza dashes toward Naruto with his sword held out to his lower right as the tip of the giant sword cuts through the concrete. Naruto stood his ground as Zabuza came forward which was something that he preferred his opponents to do. As soon as Zabuza reached striking distance the man swung his blade upon Naruto who backs away while blocking Zabuza's strikes as the man preceded forward, Naruto on defensive and Zabuza on the offensive. Naruto was watching the movements of Zabuza's sword carefully so as to find an opportunity to counter and it came when Zabuza delivered a powerful swing of his sword. The large sword collides with Naruto's making the boy spin around but at the same time going into a low stance while sheathing his sword within the spin, and when he looked back up into the face of Zabuza he only wore a small smile while Zabuza's eyes widen. Naruto this time without pulling the trigger performs a quick draw on his own but as he did his sword radiated an eerie red off it, and after the quick draw a vortex of what looked to be red winds spun rapidly around his form.

As soon as the red winds emerged Zabuza was able to bring his sword down before him blocking the sharp red winds that scrap against his sword leaving gashes within. The power behind Naruto's "Vortex Draw" was enough to send Zabuza through the air off his feet but not out of control as he lands upon his feet sliding upon the ground before coming to a stop. Zabuza looked ahead to Naruto who held his pose of holding his sword out to his upper right upon a knee who quickly sheathed his sword to dashing forward, and with his right hand grasped around the hilt of his sheathed sword. Zabuza did the same dashed forward with sword in hand and as he did a total of three Water Clones dashed around him all heading toward Naruto. The first Water Clone that came upon Naruto during the charge Naruto pulled the trigger shooting out his sword performing a quick draw cutting through the Water Clone. The second Water Clone came upon him swinging his sword to which Naruto ducked under turning away but as he did he once again pulls the trigger firing his sword out once again, and the result was Naruto rapidly spinning around in a complete three sixty since he let the power behind the sword being fired spin him around.

The final and third Water Clone came upon Naruto swinging the sword down upon the kneed Naruto but before his sword was able to hit the Crimson Wind, Naruto vanished reappearing behind the Water Clone in midair with his sword overhead. The third Water Clones sword hits nothing but concrete as Naruto front flips down while slashing his sword down the back of the Water Clone defeating it, and Naruto landing upon a knee. The real Zabuza still dashing toward the now turned Naruto upon one knee reaches striking distance swinging his sword and Naruto quickly turns around slashing his sword to his upper left, and the tip of his sword just barely missing Zabuza's throat who leaned his head back. At the same time Naruto swung his blade Zabuza did the same swinging his sword to his upper right as the sword was in his right hand, and right after Naruto's sword missed his throat the Crimson Wind was forced lean his head back evading the large blade that barely goes over and past his nose. After dodging one another swords by the skin of their teeth's both swordsmen cartwheel backwards and away from one another.

Zabuza quickly puts his sword away upon his back to performing seals for a jutsu but Naruto knowing Iaido is suddenly before Zabuza slashing his red sword right through him. It looked like Naruto had cut Zabuza in half but then that's when the so called Zabuza dispersed into nothing but water.

"A Water Clone!" Naruto said surprised as he looked over his shoulder.

That's when he heard the echoes of seals to a jutsu being performed and looking back ahead he saw Zabuza upon the water having just finished his jutsu. What happened next was a total of three Water Dragons were created emerging out of the water with two on both opposite sides of Zabuza and the third from behind shooting over Zabuza, and all three shooting toward Naruto. Seeing the three Water Dragons shooting toward him Naruto readies his sword before him and as he did his red sword started to arch red lighting around it. When the three Water Dragons were close enough Naruto slashes the dragon to his right with a upper right slash, the one on the left was slashed in a downward slash to the lower left from the upper right, and finally the center Water Dragon was slashed in a horizontal angel with Naruto now holding his sword out to his right. The three Water Dragons dispersing into water and as soon as they did there Zabuza was emerging through the water reaching his left hand out for Naruto, and Naruto was unable to avoid the Demon of the Hidden Mist's hand grasping around his left ankle.

Naruto was suddenly picked up to being twirled overhead and thrown back toward the warehouse crashing through a window back inside. Naruto crashing through the window shoots through the air within the warehouse over all of the containers of Gato's shipments. The Crimson Wind crashes into a wall denting it and looks ahead to the window he was thrown to seeing Zabuza from the outside leap through the air toward him. Naruto pulled himself out of the wall and with chakra charged in both of his feet he leaped through the air toward Zabuza who was coming toward him through the air, and with his sheathed Masamune when both swordsmen reached one another Naruto pulls the trigger firing out his sword. The Masamune arching a red lighting around it as Naruto catches the hilt of the sword within his right hand clashing his sword into Zabuza's with a roar. The Demon of the Hidden Mist was able to bring his sword up to block but it wasn't enough as the power behind Naruto's quick draw sends him shooting downward through the air crashing into the side of a large rectangular container.

Zabuza's crash against it was so strong that it made the large shipment container topple off and over falling to ground level of the warehouse. Zabuza picks himself up and as he did he said…

"My back…" Naruto lands upon the stacked containers across from Zabuza who leans back popping his back while giving out a grunt. Zabuza looks toward Naruto who brings his sword down before him like any traditional samurai would and said. "Your reputation is not a farce after all, Crimson Wind."

"Neither is yours, Demon of the Hidden Mist." Naruto said and looked over to the crashed container on ground level and what he saw sprawled out upon the floor looked to be pieces of something. "What the…?" They looked like parts to something big with what he thought saw what looked to be a foot but didn't look like a human foot, and there was even what looked to be part of an arm. He even noticed that they looked to have been made out of wood. "What the hell do those belong to? What is Gato shipping?"

"You should never take your eyes off your opponent!" Zabuza said aloud as he charged the distracted Naruto.

Naruto sheathed his sword and back flips and away into the air to performing seals, and what Zabuza saw next was Naruto firing down a total of three fireballs to which Zabuza leaped away from. Each fireball Zabuza dodged leaping away destroyed one container behind him and when Naruto came to landing upon the railing of a catwalk he performed the same jutsu. Naruto can now be seen blowing down a torrent of fire upon everything below him lighting it all on fire intending to destroy whatever it is that Gato is sending off. The inside of the warehouse moments later along with the stored shipment to different parts of the Ninja World is now ablaze, and Zabuza landing upon a separate catwalks railing opposite of the warehouse looks across to Naruto who was about fifty yards away with nothing but flames separating the two of them.

"Running away, Crimson Wind?"

"More like to be continued, Demon of the Mist." Naruto said as he throws down smoke bombs around his area covering him and when the smoke cleared Naruto was gone.

"Little brat." Zabuza said making his own escape just in time avoiding a support beam from above crashing upon the catwalk he was upon.

Outside within the forest that surrounded the now blazing compound standing upon a tree branch was Haku, and appearing next to him was Zabuza.

"Zabuza, have you succeeded?"

"Little brat got away."

"The Crimson Wind ran from you."

"Not exactly Haku. After all there was a collapsing building coming down upon the both of us, but The Crimson Wind definitely lives up to his reputation. I haven't had a battle like that for years…" Zabuza said. "What did you think of him, Haku?"

"He is dangerous." Haku simply said.

"The next time we cross paths only one of us will be standing." Zabuza promised.

"Gato is not going to be happy about this…" Haku said referring to the warehouse.

"I don't care."

Within another part of the forests of Wave Country sitting behind a tree with his sword in hand beside him having the butt of the sheath upon the ground was Naruto. Naruto was looking up to the moon above in the night sky…

"So that is the Demon of the Hidden Mist, huh? Lives up to his name...I guess. It was quite fun though." Naruto said with a small smirk gracing his face.